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Another corner of the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC) is a step closer to being transformed, with public consultation to redevelop Avon Park beginning today. The Christchurch City Council is seeking feedback on its plans to turn Avon Park’s lower terrace into a naturalised wetland, upgrade the playground facilities, allow space for the City to…
Due to health and safety concerns, whitebait enthusiasts will no longer be able to drive vehicles through the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Area (OARC) to access the river when the season begins on 1 September. Christchurch City Council Head of Parks Andrew Rutledge says whitebaiters are still welcome to access the river, but will…
Every Friday morning, on the edge of the former residential red zone, a group of enthusiastic children pull on their gardening gloves and pick up their shovels, ready for some hard mahi. The students are in Years 4 to 6 at Banks Avenue School and for the past five years they have been working to…
Every Friday morning, on the edge of the former residential red zone, a group of enthusiastic children pull on their gardening gloves and pick up their shovels, ready for some hard mahi. The students are in Years 4 to 6 at Banks Avenue School and for the past five years they have been working to…
The final pedestrian bridge along the Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor is complete. The new Snell Place footbridge opened today with a small ceremony. “It’s great to have all three bridges open for the public to use. They’re also going to play a key role in the future City to Sea pathway which will run from…
The twisted and distorted bridge that became a symbol for the power of the Canterbury earthquakes has a new incarnation. The Medway Street footbridge was officially opened to the public today, the second of three new pedestrian bridges to be built in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor. For the first time since the earthquakes, the…
Mushrooms are a-growing at the Fungi Farm in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Area. The project is an initiative of the Riverlution Collective and driven by the Richmond Community Garden, but spokesperson Hayley Guglietta says it will take a couple of years for the fungi populations to get well established. “They’ve got to have…
The first of the landings in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC) has opened to the public. The Dallington Landing was officially opened on Saturday afternoon with a small ceremony and community picnic for local residents. Locals celebrate the opening of the new Dallington landing. Christchurch City Council Head of Parks, Andrew Rutledge, says the…
The first of three new pedestrian bridges in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor has officially opened to the public today. The Avondale bridge crosses the river from the end of Briarmont Street to the regeneration area adjacent to New Brighton Road. Christchurch City Council Head of Parks Andrew Rutledge says the new bridge provides an…
Significant strides have been taken this year in the multi-generational project to transform the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor into an ecological sanctuary and recreational area for the city. With the help of an army of volunteers, young and old, tens of thousands of plants have been put in the ground to start creating a native…
Ngāi Tūāhuriri, the community and Christchurch City Council will co-govern the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (ŌARC). “Co-governance must be at the heart of the continued development of this special part of our city,’’ says Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel. “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to turn this river corridor into a recreation and…
More than 600 redundant street light fittings will be removed over the coming weeks in former red zone land along the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor. The Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (ŌARC) once held more than 5000 homes which were demolished following the Canterbury earthquakes. A regeneration plan for the area includes the creation of an…
The return of foot and cycle access across the Ōtākaro Avon River at Medway St is another step closer after the new Medway St Bridge span was successfully lifted into place by crane yesterday. The original Medway St bridge became a local symbol of the 2011 earthquakes after it was twisted and warped by the…
At 12 years of age Jordan Wilson is the youngest person to be granted a temporary land use licence for Christchurch’s Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor regeneration area. His vision of creating a community garden was given the green light by Toitū Te Whenua/ Land Information New Zealand in July. Since that time a number of…
Visitors to the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor might stumble across naturalised pockets of longer grass and plants as the Christchurch City Council undertakes revegetation trials in the Richmond and Bexley areas. Red Zone Manager Brenden Winder says because they’ve found some areas with high ground water that are trying to restore themselves to natural wetlands,…
Christchurch City Council is taking steps to close some short sections of road around the Ōtākaro Avon River so that a new City to Sea pathway can be built. The Council has today agreed to begin the process for formally stopping – and eventually closing – a 900m section of Avonside Drive between 748 Avonside…
The wheels are in motion to progress a new City to Sea pathway that will connect the central city to New Brighton. The eight-kilometre long, recreational shared-use pathway will start at Barbadoes Street and largely follow the course of the Ōtākaro Avon River through the regeneration area to the sea. The project is estimated to…
The vision of a native forest corridor along the Ōtākaro Avon River will take a big step forward on Saturday as hundreds of volunteers put spades in the ground at Dallington. Christchurch City Council, with support from Conservation Volunteers New Zealand and Rotary Forests of Peace, Remembrance and Community, is organising a mass planting event…
A mushroom-themed education, play and foraging area has officially opened in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Area. More than 50 adults and children attended the Fungi Farm’s official opening this afternoon, complete with hearty, wild mushroom soup, and mushroom-themed sweets and savouries Located on the corner of Evelyn Cousins Ave and River Road in…
A mushroom-themed education, play and foraging area will sprout in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Area in the coming months. The Mushroom Room will feature at least six different native and exotic species of edible mushrooms for foragers, up to five large art installations by local artists, four engaging nature play pieces, and interactive…